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UNETHICAL AUTO-ACCEPTER TECHNOLOGY?

By
Real Estate Technology with BPO Automation Group & BPO University

BPO Automation Group

November 18, 2009

   As the Sales Manager of the BPO Automation Group I have been in contact with hundreds of agents across the nation, who are vitally concerned about their ability to get BPO orders successfully. There are now a multitude of agents who are making a partial and/or meaningful livelihood from completing BPO orders. The guaranteed payday for those in the BPO industry, especially in today's economic marketplace, is extremely attractive for many.

   With BPO market saturation occurring in many areas of the nation, it is becoming more and more difficult to successfully get orders.  To blame are the huge volume of agents attempting to get orders manually AND the increasing number of agents who are using auto-accept technology to get orders.  Frequent questions regarding whether using auto-accept software is illegal and/or unethical abound. On one side of the coin I picture BPO agents chained to their desks, continually refreshing their computer in search of the illusive BPO orders. Agents who are using auto accept technology are enjoying a different lifestyle.  Auto- accept software can be set to look for orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Orders can be accepted when the agent is taking BPO pictures or is out of the office on business, or are enjoying the family or other favorite activities. Throw off the shackles, make money and take charge of life!

    Who, in their right mind, would like to spend hours each day looking for orders, when technology is available to effortlessly capture orders?  I imagine that horses thought that automobiles were illegal and/or unethical when introduced into the marketplace, too! Such is automation. . . I recently spoke with a woman from the Chicago area that spent hours each day attempting to get BPO orders by frequently and continuously refreshing her internet connection with several BPO vendors. One of the vendors that has gone on record of stating that they do not allow auto-accepters to be used to capture their orders (to remain nameless) called this person on the phone, accused her of using an auto accepter, and fired her-even though she wasn't using one at that time.  I heard from another agent last week that she, too, was fired-even though she was only refreshing her link to this vendor's website hundreds of times a day.  Bottom line:  neither agent was very successful getting orders from this vendor and others and both purchased our auto-accept software.  In recent follow up conversation with both people, I was told that not only is their success ratio significantly higher in getting BPO orders since the installation date of our software, but both couldn't imagine going back to the stress and hours of wasted time manually attempting to get orders-with little success!

   Is it illegal or unethical to use auto-accepters to get orders?  In my opinion, not using auto-accept software is much like the seemingly endless days people formerly spent in sweatshops, suffering cruel and unusual work conditions-especially when the alternative is so inexpensive and works so well!  The BPO vendors, instead of trying to outlaw auto accept technology, should instead DIRECT BPO orders to individual agents who do a good job and get the orders done in a timely fashion. Vendors who rely on ‘market blasts' to get BPO orders completed, who insist that agents chain themselves to their desks for hours at a time, are truly the ones who should get a wake-up call! Hundreds of frustrated agents across the nation are actively searching, hoping and praying for a solution to the BPO order nightmare.

 Give me a call, Steve Lorimer, at the BPO Automation Group, and let's talk about auto-accepters and when you are productive and busy getting orders, give me a call and let's explore our form completion software that will cut hours off the time it takes to do the BPO paperwork! 

Written by Steve Lorimer, Sales Manager for the BPO Automation Group

Steve Lorimer, Sales Mgr for BPO Automation Group

Comments (4)

Mark Ruda
Mark A Ruda - Fox River Grove, IL

Steve:

I don't like your product, but may I have little choice but to buy yours or a competitor's. Not that I want to, but it appears I may have to.

On one hand, I applaud the BPO companies that ban the use of auto-acceptors. However, in the cases you mention, it looks like some of them may be run by knuckleheads.

If companies don't want their orders auto-accepted, they need to ASSIGN them to BPO providers. In theory, that should be based on merit. Some companies do that -- First American Residential Value View and Integrated Asset Services to name two.

Does it make me a better BPO provider because I've invested in more software that would be unnecessary if BPO companies used a common-sense approach to order assignment? I don't think so. We could quibble about the computerized scoring of BPO reports, but in the long run, my relationship with any company I work with depends on the perceived quality and validity of the reports I generate. As it should be.

In theory, my work flow should rise and fall depending on the volume of distressed properties in my area, as well as the quality of work. That I need an auto-acceptor to goose that volume may not be unethical, but certainly doesn't speak to any value I add to the lender(s) and all parties involved.

 

 

Nov 20, 2009 03:45 AM
John Novak
Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace - Las Vegas, NV
Henderson, Las Vegas and Summerlin Real Estate

I know of a few agents in my office who are doing well with BPOs. Multiply that by our entire Las Vegas market, and I would guess that there are hundreds doing BPOs and at least 15-20 using auto-accepters. When a new order comes out, whose auto-accepter wins? And how can a single agent just trying to get started in BPOs possibly compete?

Nov 20, 2009 03:52 AM
Andrew Monaghan
The Monaghan Group - Glendale, AZ
CRS, GRI, EPro Associate Broker

Automated acceptance can be a issue if there is bpos accepted that cant be handled correctly.

Dec 06, 2009 03:16 AM
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Haven Express @ Keller Williams Arizona Realty

REALTORS who violate the REALTOR Code of Ethics deserve to have complaints filed against them.

Jul 29, 2010 02:37 AM